K-12 Cybersecurity: Protecting Student Privacy
The year 2020 was a record-breaking year in cyberattacks for K-12 organizations. From phishing schemes to malware to ransomware attacks, K-12 organizations across the world have fallen victim to cyberattacks, so that protecting student privacy became a critical challenge. The sudden shift to online learning during the COVID pandemic has further exacerbated a problem for a sector that was already struggling with limited security budget and IT staff.
With millions of students now using school-issued computers and unsecured networks to access the school’s network, protecting student privacy and safety in their online activities is of the utmost importance. Children may not recognize the dangers of visiting unknown websites, freely sharing their lives on social media, liking a post, or communicating with strangers online.
18%
Rise in K-12 Cyber Attacks during 2020: Ransomware | Denial-of-service | Data breaches | Phishing
“The State of K-12 Cybersecurity: 2020 Year in Review”; K-12 Cybersecurity Resource Center and K12 SIX
57%
of reported ransomware incidents involved K-12 schools in August and September 2020
Center for Internet Security’s Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) Report
61%
of K-12 students said a cyberattack impacted their trust in their school
Malwarebytes, “Lessons in Cybersecurity: How education coped in the shift to distance learning” (2020)
Every time a student accesses the school’s learning management system, a digital roadmap is left behind of their online activities for cyber predators to exploit. Students and school systems are prime targets for cybercriminals.
A stolen student identity can fetch upwards of $1100 per ID on the dark web because they do not have bank accounts or credit histories and are unlikely to detect signs of identity thefts until later in life. School systems are a treasure trove of personal information on students, teachers, and staff. Protecting student privacy is therefore paramount.
“The internet should be a safe environment for our children, especially while at school, and technology like Telos Ghost plays an important role in making it a reality. We are grateful to see the security of our students taken seriously and are thrilled to have peace of mind when it comes to the online security of our students.”
Jeff Faust, CISO, Chesapeake (Va.) Public Schools
Cybersecurity in K-12 schools is an enormous challenge. Telos Ghost can help protect school systems and their students from crippling attacks.
Hides student identities and online activities when they’re on the school learning platform
Logs students onto Telos Ghost when they log onto the school network – no further logins needed
Continuously shields students from cyber predators with always-on connection
Makes the school network’s attack surfaces disappear on the public internet
Eliminates cybercriminals’ ability to see and attack the school network
Telos Ghost Unique Features
Dynamic IP routing
Hides student activities in a labyrinth of network nodes
Multi-layered encryption
Ensures privacy and safety of student online activities
Reporting
Up-to-date reporting on student activities
With Telos Ghost protecting student privacy, students can work with confidence, knowing they’re shielded from the public internet to avoid cyber bullying and other security breaches.
COVID-19 has dramatically changed educational systems. At the height of the pandemic, over 1.2 billion students around the wo…
Students, faculty, and staff in every level of academia are high-value targets for hackers, marketers, and nation-states.
Learn more about the heightened threat of cyber attacks on critical IT assets and what organizations are doing about it.
